California needs more qualified health care workers now, the rest of the country to follow
A recent study completed by the Campaign for College Opportunity reveals that the health care sector in California is already experiencing a shortage of college-educated workers, a troublesome issue that is expected to plague all industries in the state by the year 2020. This shortage, paired with the inevitable retirement of highly skilled baby boomers in the health care field, is expected to place the health of Californians (and millions of other citizens throughout the country) in serious jeopardy.
Recordnet.com posted an article earlier this month that addresses this looming shortage and the concerns that many citizens have regarding the future of our nation’s health. According to the study introduced above, California’s over-65 population is growing much faster than other groups in the state and is expected to increase by 75 percent between 2000 and 2020. Compared with their younger counterparts, citizens aged 65 to 97 require four times as many health expenditures. Columnist Joe Goldeen writes that many health care professionals in California are in crisis mode, realizing that “the tidal wave of patients is only a few years away.”
With shortages already apparent in many facilities and industries, there seems to be no solution in sight for this potentially dangerous situation. The Campaign for College Opportunity study shows that allied health care fields are experiencing the worst shortages as of now. These types of positions represent 60 percent of health care jobs, and some examples include diagnostic medical sonographers, pharmacy technicians, surgical technologists, and medical assistants. Registered nurses are also notoriously in demand.
Right now, there isn’t enough capacity in California’s colleges to train and educate the number of people necessary to fill these jobs. Allied health positions often require a certificate, an associate degree, or in some cases, a graduate degree. While the state focuses on creating more training programs, your best bet is to do some research on the schools that do have openings.
California is certainly not the only state that is facing a major shortage of workers in the upcoming years, and many institutions are working towards broadening their resources and increasing the number of available slots in their health-related degree programs. So while you may encounter some obstacles to receiving your training in the health care industry now, just know that it won’t be difficult to find an open position once you’ve earned the appropriate certificate or degree.